Brake-operating device for trains



Aug. A. F. CRAWFORD BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR TRAINS Filed- Sept. 30,925

i I mewkior Crew (1rd Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

iii-vii o sgrarss rarsn'r FFICE.

AARON F. CRAWFORD, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTON;

BRAKE-OPERATING nnvron non TRAINS.

Application filed September 30, 1925. Serial No. 59,535.

the car trucks so that in case the truck is derailed, the cables will beoperated to open the valve and to allow a reduction in the air pressureand the consequent automatic application of the brakes. V

The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description and drawing.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application ano inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts of the same:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car and truckequipped with an invention constructed in accordance with my idea.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a detail side view.

Referring to the drawing in detail the reference character 1 (inFigure 1) designates a side view of one of the side bars of the body,and 2 designates generally the wheel supported truck which has relativemovement to the body as is well known. The brake pipe is designated bythe reference character 3, and tie operating handle of a rotary valve,in this brake pipe, is designated by the reference character l. Inaccordance with the present invention a clamp, the parts of which aredesignated by the characters 5 and G, is fastened upon the brake pipe atthe point shown. The top part 5 of the clamp carries a horizontal arm 7and a coil spring 8 is attached at its outer end to the correspondingend of the arm and is detachably connected at its opposite end to theoperating handle 4 of the valve. In this connection it is to be pointedout, as shown in Figure 3 that the valve handle is formed atlongitudinally spaced points with openings through which cotter pins 9are passed. Moreover the coil spring is formed on its inner end with anelongated loop which surrounds the handle at a point be tween thesecotter pins.

Secured by straps or equivalent means 10 on the side rails of the carbody are conduits 11 through which fiGXlblG valve operating cables 12are passed. There are four 611' of these cables, two short ones and twolong 7' ones. The two short ones are attached to the front corners ofthe truck 2 and the two long ones are attached to the rear corners,

considering the left hand .end of the car, the

front of Figur 1. All of the forward ends of the cable are connectedwith a ring 13 and this ring'is in'turn connected with an elongated link14.

Under nornal circumstances the coil spring exerts a yieldable pull uponthe valve handle l-to maintain the valve closed. In the event that thecar on which the device is installed is derailed and the wheels of thetruck jump the track, it is obvious that one 7 or more of the flexiblecables will be pulled upon. In Figure 2 it will be noted that theconduits have properly bent portions 15 to dispose all of the cables onone side of the valve handle. Accordingly the valve handle will bepulled in a direction from left to right 'to open the valve against thetension of the spring. Under abnormal conditions the pull will be suchas to shear ofi th cotter pins and to detach the cables from the 35valve handle. The coil spring will also become disconnected at the sametime and thus the valve will remain open until closed by hand. Themoment there is a reduction in'the air pressure in the brake pipe line,

the brakes will be automatically applied, thereby reducing the severityof the accident. It is, of course, understood that there is suiiicientplay in the cable to allow for;

the normal degree of relative movement between the truck and body of thecar. The

shearing operation described only occurs when the movement is abnormal.

It is believed that by considering the description in connection withthe drawings,

persons familiar with inventions of this class will be able to attain aclear understanding of the same, therefore a more lengthy description isthought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment in the invention has been shown anddescribed itis to be understood that minor changes coming within thefield of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim An automatic train stopping device of the class describedcomprising, in combination, arar body, a Wheel supported truckconnectedjwitli said body and movable with respect tl1ereto,aii air pipemounted upon said body, a valve in said air pipe,"'ja'clamp detachablymounted upon said pipe, said clamp being composed of separable sections,one of which is provided with an extension forming an arm, a springanchored at its outer end to the corresponding; en 'o't' said arm, saidvalve including rotary part having aliandle, the 1111181" end of thespring being connected with said handle, a plu ra-lity'of flexible pullcables connected With the truck, and. encasing conduits for said AARONF. CRAWFORD.

